Hello everyone.
Here is chapter nine. After this chapter, I'm probably not
going to be able to write until May...assuming that I post this
chapter before May. I have a lot going on here. I know I don't
update a lot...but I have a policy to only update when I have a
chapter. I really appreciate everyone who has stuck with this
story...which seems to be getting more and more complex. Hey, what's
a ride without twists?
All the disclaimers are still in effect. Please ask before using one
of my original characters.
Thanks for reading.
~December
Chapter 9: It's About Time We Talked
After leaving the jail, Usagi and ChibiUsa had gone to the Crown arcade.
Sitting in a booth, both with milkshakes, the two females were talking...
and, for once, not touching the drinks in front of them.
Usagi sighed. She turned over, for the 120th time, the card Tenchi Ikeda
had given her. "Everyone seems to believe the worst of her."
ChibiUsa looked at her mother. "Why? Obaa-san would never do anything
like what they accused her of. I don't understand why everyone thinks the
worst of her."
Usagi smiled, although it was a sad one. "Not everyone sees people's
hearts. I even have to work at it, myself. When I first saw Tierreny-san
she scared me. I just trusted Mamo-chan enough to know that if she was with
him, she was okay. It took her saving me for me to see her as she was."
ChibiUsa, while already serious, became more so. At this moment, Usagi
sounded like the mother she had left in the future. "So, what do we do,
Mom?"
Usagi sighed again. "I don't know. I can't reach my friends. I can't
wave a wand. I can't ask Luna...or my mother...either one." Tears began
to run down Usagi's face. "I can't do this alone."
'I'm counting on your knowledge, sight, and position to save some very
important people and put some lives back together. Something that the
crystal can't do...and something your mother can't do without you.' These
words of her soba rang in her head...and finally made sense. "It will
be okay Usagi. I'll help. We'll figure out what to do; I promise."
"Thank you."
At that moment, Mamoru entered the Crown. At first, he moved to approach
the counter and his friend...but, as if pushed away by some unseen force,
he took the farthest booth from the counter instead. While both Usagi and
ChibiUsa noticed him, he didn't notice them.
"And the first thing we can do," ChibiUsa began, "is that you can go talk
to Daddy. Right now."
"Talk to Mamo-chan now? But what about-"
"Go talk to him, okaa-san. Remember what Tierreny-san said? I think he
needs you as much as you need him. And he can help."
The older female at the table took a deep breath as she stood. "Okay."
She began to walk over to the table where Mamoru Chiba sat.
*At the far booth*
Mamoru sighed. After watching Irony's lawyer win her over in less than
40 minutes, he was still in shock...but there was now a lot less for him
to do. Irony's case was in good hands...and, at least for the moment,
Ikeda-san needed to confer with Irony alone. So that meant he had time
to think, worry...and miss the love of his life and his best friend.
Someone stopped near his table, but Mamoru didn't look up, hoping whoever
it was would go away. Instead of leaving, however, the person sat across
from him. "She saved me that day, you know. By throwing that knife she
saved me. If you had asked me about it after I calmed down, I would have
told you."
Mamoru's head shot up. Sitting in front of him of him was an angel...his
angel. "Usako-"
She held up a hand. "Wait. I think...I'm angry at you." The statement
was surprising, but it lost some of its power because the young woman said
it with such wonder.
Mamoru looked confused...and then sad. "Usako, I know that Alanis has-"
"This has nothing to do with Tierreny-san, expect for the fact that she
suggested I talk to you about this." Not stopping for long enough for
Mamoru to process that she had had a conversation with Irony, Usagi
plugged on, "This is about not telling me about your past. You saw how
I accepted Makoto and Haruka and Hotaru. You saw how I never gave up on
you when you were under Beryl's control. I saw the good in so many...why
didn't you trust me with this? If you had just introduced me to Tierreny-san,
and let me have a chance to get to know her...why?"
Mamoru looked at the woman in front of him...and realized that he had to
be honest. "I'm not totally sure of all the reasons. I think part of it
was to project you from my past. And part of it was selfish. As much as
the Green was and is family...to the outside world they still look like a
gang. I like the fact that you seemed to think I was smarter, stronger,
and more self-reliant than I was. But mostly...I think I was afraid I
would corrupt your light with this darkness of my life." He sighed. "I
should have told you. You had a right to chose about how much darkness
should surround you."
Usagi shook her head and put her hands on his, "But the Green and your
time with them wasn't darkness. I won't believe it was...not with
Tierreny-san in charge. Sure there is darkness and evil on the street,
but just because it is near you and you interact with it, doesn't make
you a part of the darkness...any more than it made me a youma, daimon,
or anything else I fought." Usagi looked her love in the eye, "Mamo-chan
please learn to share things with me. I can't help you, if you don't
tell me."
Mamoru nodded.
"Tierreny-san seemed to think you thought you would lose me over this.
Is this true?"
"No. I didn't think I'd lose you...being able to get within 20 meters of
you with your friends protecting you, on the other hand," Mamoru laughed.
Then he paused...and asked a question that had been bothering him since
the beginning at this conversation, "You talked to Alanis?"
"Yes. I went to see her twice," Mamoru's eyed widdened, but Usagi continued.
"ChibiUsa wanted to see her...yes she's here. I don't know why; she wouldn't
say. Actually, ChibiUsa called her obaa-san when she first saw her."
Mamoru didn't think he could get more shocked, "Obaa-san?! And how would
ChibiUsa recognize her anyway? Alanis can't be alive in Crystal Toyko!
She's not...she's just human."
Usagi shook her head. "I don't know how ChibiUsa recognized her, but she
did. And our daughter seems to view Tierreny-san as her soba." Usagi
paused. "But actually...there is something else we need to talk about,"
she said as she looked down at the business card she still held in her
hand.
*Meanwhile*
ChibiUsa watched as the younger version of her mother went to talk to the
younger version of her father. 'I hope they work out whatever they need
to.' As she began to look around the arcade, she saw that Motoki had
noticed that Usagi and Mamoru were talking...and he looked like he was
going to stop it. 'Well, time to go to work,' thought the teen as she
practically ran to the counter to stop Motoki from heading over to the
far booth.
Practically out of breath, the teen panted out, "Can-I-have-a-soda?"
Motoki looked a little nonplussed and annoyed that he couldn't get to
Usagi and Mamoru. He looked down at this cousin of Usagi's...who looked
older than the last time he remembered seeing her...but it was so hard
to tell how old people were today. "You've finished your milkshake, I
take it?"
ChibiUsa looked over at her melting, untouched milkshake back at the
booth she just left. "Um..yeah." She turned to Motoki, "Usagi told
me that she'd get me a soda too."
Motoki looked at the pink-haired teen. "The soda's on the house."
"Arigato!"
As Motoki fixed her soda, ChibiUsa noticed how he kept looking back at
the far booth. As he sat her soda down ChibiUsa said, "You know, I had
a friend once that I was really worried about. She was someone that
my grandmother looked in on from time to time. Obaa-san often took
me with her when she went to visit this girl. Well, this girl had a
very different home life than mine. I understood that...at least on some
level. But I always kinda thought she 'get over it' and become more
like me. I guess that was why I was a little shocked when she turned
down an invitation to an exclusive school to stay where she was."
Motoki turned his attention to the girl, sensing that she was trying
to tell him something. "So, why did she turn down the invitation?"
"Because she was the shining light in that area of the city. She was the
hope of so many people. And she tutored five girls. She saw the whole
community as a family...even the scary people. I remember that when she
first told me her decision, I didn't let her get a word in edge-wise
because I was so busy telling her why 'those people' weren't worth her
time. I wasn't a very good friend."
Motoki looked at the saddened girl. "But of course you were. You were
looking out for her best interest-"
"Which I didn't know because I hadn't heard the whole story and I refused
to listen. I didn't trust her enough to listen and believe her take on
the situation. A similar thing happened to my father when he was younger.
He was on the other end of it. He told me it really hurt when his friend
wouldn't listen to him...and when his friend wanted him to choose. My
father said their friendship almost ended behind this. That made me go
talk to my friend, to listen to her, and to explain my reaction to her."
She looked over at the far booth. When she was sure that Motoki was
looking as well, she said, "Real friends listen and believe...even when
they have to confront their own prejudice to do it."
Motoki seemed to be in thought as the young teen looked down at her soda.
'I guess I have to find a way to force this down my system,' she thought.
As she turned to look out the window...she saw seven familiar people walk
through the door...and they seemed to be looking for someone. ChibiUsa
sighed. 'This is wonderful,' she thought sarcastically. 'How do we
explain my soba to them?'
- to be continued -
See, I'm working on the Mamoru-Motoki friendship strain! I just wanted
to share.
Here is chapter nine. After this chapter, I'm probably not
going to be able to write until May...assuming that I post this
chapter before May. I have a lot going on here. I know I don't
update a lot...but I have a policy to only update when I have a
chapter. I really appreciate everyone who has stuck with this
story...which seems to be getting more and more complex. Hey, what's
a ride without twists?
All the disclaimers are still in effect. Please ask before using one
of my original characters.
Thanks for reading.
~December
Chapter 9: It's About Time We Talked
After leaving the jail, Usagi and ChibiUsa had gone to the Crown arcade.
Sitting in a booth, both with milkshakes, the two females were talking...
and, for once, not touching the drinks in front of them.
Usagi sighed. She turned over, for the 120th time, the card Tenchi Ikeda
had given her. "Everyone seems to believe the worst of her."
ChibiUsa looked at her mother. "Why? Obaa-san would never do anything
like what they accused her of. I don't understand why everyone thinks the
worst of her."
Usagi smiled, although it was a sad one. "Not everyone sees people's
hearts. I even have to work at it, myself. When I first saw Tierreny-san
she scared me. I just trusted Mamo-chan enough to know that if she was with
him, she was okay. It took her saving me for me to see her as she was."
ChibiUsa, while already serious, became more so. At this moment, Usagi
sounded like the mother she had left in the future. "So, what do we do,
Mom?"
Usagi sighed again. "I don't know. I can't reach my friends. I can't
wave a wand. I can't ask Luna...or my mother...either one." Tears began
to run down Usagi's face. "I can't do this alone."
'I'm counting on your knowledge, sight, and position to save some very
important people and put some lives back together. Something that the
crystal can't do...and something your mother can't do without you.' These
words of her soba rang in her head...and finally made sense. "It will
be okay Usagi. I'll help. We'll figure out what to do; I promise."
"Thank you."
At that moment, Mamoru entered the Crown. At first, he moved to approach
the counter and his friend...but, as if pushed away by some unseen force,
he took the farthest booth from the counter instead. While both Usagi and
ChibiUsa noticed him, he didn't notice them.
"And the first thing we can do," ChibiUsa began, "is that you can go talk
to Daddy. Right now."
"Talk to Mamo-chan now? But what about-"
"Go talk to him, okaa-san. Remember what Tierreny-san said? I think he
needs you as much as you need him. And he can help."
The older female at the table took a deep breath as she stood. "Okay."
She began to walk over to the table where Mamoru Chiba sat.
*At the far booth*
Mamoru sighed. After watching Irony's lawyer win her over in less than
40 minutes, he was still in shock...but there was now a lot less for him
to do. Irony's case was in good hands...and, at least for the moment,
Ikeda-san needed to confer with Irony alone. So that meant he had time
to think, worry...and miss the love of his life and his best friend.
Someone stopped near his table, but Mamoru didn't look up, hoping whoever
it was would go away. Instead of leaving, however, the person sat across
from him. "She saved me that day, you know. By throwing that knife she
saved me. If you had asked me about it after I calmed down, I would have
told you."
Mamoru's head shot up. Sitting in front of him of him was an angel...his
angel. "Usako-"
She held up a hand. "Wait. I think...I'm angry at you." The statement
was surprising, but it lost some of its power because the young woman said
it with such wonder.
Mamoru looked confused...and then sad. "Usako, I know that Alanis has-"
"This has nothing to do with Tierreny-san, expect for the fact that she
suggested I talk to you about this." Not stopping for long enough for
Mamoru to process that she had had a conversation with Irony, Usagi
plugged on, "This is about not telling me about your past. You saw how
I accepted Makoto and Haruka and Hotaru. You saw how I never gave up on
you when you were under Beryl's control. I saw the good in so many...why
didn't you trust me with this? If you had just introduced me to Tierreny-san,
and let me have a chance to get to know her...why?"
Mamoru looked at the woman in front of him...and realized that he had to
be honest. "I'm not totally sure of all the reasons. I think part of it
was to project you from my past. And part of it was selfish. As much as
the Green was and is family...to the outside world they still look like a
gang. I like the fact that you seemed to think I was smarter, stronger,
and more self-reliant than I was. But mostly...I think I was afraid I
would corrupt your light with this darkness of my life." He sighed. "I
should have told you. You had a right to chose about how much darkness
should surround you."
Usagi shook her head and put her hands on his, "But the Green and your
time with them wasn't darkness. I won't believe it was...not with
Tierreny-san in charge. Sure there is darkness and evil on the street,
but just because it is near you and you interact with it, doesn't make
you a part of the darkness...any more than it made me a youma, daimon,
or anything else I fought." Usagi looked her love in the eye, "Mamo-chan
please learn to share things with me. I can't help you, if you don't
tell me."
Mamoru nodded.
"Tierreny-san seemed to think you thought you would lose me over this.
Is this true?"
"No. I didn't think I'd lose you...being able to get within 20 meters of
you with your friends protecting you, on the other hand," Mamoru laughed.
Then he paused...and asked a question that had been bothering him since
the beginning at this conversation, "You talked to Alanis?"
"Yes. I went to see her twice," Mamoru's eyed widdened, but Usagi continued.
"ChibiUsa wanted to see her...yes she's here. I don't know why; she wouldn't
say. Actually, ChibiUsa called her obaa-san when she first saw her."
Mamoru didn't think he could get more shocked, "Obaa-san?! And how would
ChibiUsa recognize her anyway? Alanis can't be alive in Crystal Toyko!
She's not...she's just human."
Usagi shook her head. "I don't know how ChibiUsa recognized her, but she
did. And our daughter seems to view Tierreny-san as her soba." Usagi
paused. "But actually...there is something else we need to talk about,"
she said as she looked down at the business card she still held in her
hand.
*Meanwhile*
ChibiUsa watched as the younger version of her mother went to talk to the
younger version of her father. 'I hope they work out whatever they need
to.' As she began to look around the arcade, she saw that Motoki had
noticed that Usagi and Mamoru were talking...and he looked like he was
going to stop it. 'Well, time to go to work,' thought the teen as she
practically ran to the counter to stop Motoki from heading over to the
far booth.
Practically out of breath, the teen panted out, "Can-I-have-a-soda?"
Motoki looked a little nonplussed and annoyed that he couldn't get to
Usagi and Mamoru. He looked down at this cousin of Usagi's...who looked
older than the last time he remembered seeing her...but it was so hard
to tell how old people were today. "You've finished your milkshake, I
take it?"
ChibiUsa looked over at her melting, untouched milkshake back at the
booth she just left. "Um..yeah." She turned to Motoki, "Usagi told
me that she'd get me a soda too."
Motoki looked at the pink-haired teen. "The soda's on the house."
"Arigato!"
As Motoki fixed her soda, ChibiUsa noticed how he kept looking back at
the far booth. As he sat her soda down ChibiUsa said, "You know, I had
a friend once that I was really worried about. She was someone that
my grandmother looked in on from time to time. Obaa-san often took
me with her when she went to visit this girl. Well, this girl had a
very different home life than mine. I understood that...at least on some
level. But I always kinda thought she 'get over it' and become more
like me. I guess that was why I was a little shocked when she turned
down an invitation to an exclusive school to stay where she was."
Motoki turned his attention to the girl, sensing that she was trying
to tell him something. "So, why did she turn down the invitation?"
"Because she was the shining light in that area of the city. She was the
hope of so many people. And she tutored five girls. She saw the whole
community as a family...even the scary people. I remember that when she
first told me her decision, I didn't let her get a word in edge-wise
because I was so busy telling her why 'those people' weren't worth her
time. I wasn't a very good friend."
Motoki looked at the saddened girl. "But of course you were. You were
looking out for her best interest-"
"Which I didn't know because I hadn't heard the whole story and I refused
to listen. I didn't trust her enough to listen and believe her take on
the situation. A similar thing happened to my father when he was younger.
He was on the other end of it. He told me it really hurt when his friend
wouldn't listen to him...and when his friend wanted him to choose. My
father said their friendship almost ended behind this. That made me go
talk to my friend, to listen to her, and to explain my reaction to her."
She looked over at the far booth. When she was sure that Motoki was
looking as well, she said, "Real friends listen and believe...even when
they have to confront their own prejudice to do it."
Motoki seemed to be in thought as the young teen looked down at her soda.
'I guess I have to find a way to force this down my system,' she thought.
As she turned to look out the window...she saw seven familiar people walk
through the door...and they seemed to be looking for someone. ChibiUsa
sighed. 'This is wonderful,' she thought sarcastically. 'How do we
explain my soba to them?'
- to be continued -
See, I'm working on the Mamoru-Motoki friendship strain! I just wanted
to share.